Ventura Training–Wk9, The One Where I Quit Booze and Sugar

The dramatics are high, energy is low, and my confidence is MIA. It’s been too long to remember if this is normal taper activity or if I’m actually really in bad shape for Sunday.

Physically, honestly, I don’t feel great. Granted I ran double 50 mile weeks and my highest monthly mileage ever (185), but the fatigue and dead legs seem a bit skewed in respect. Plus there have been no redeeming qualities from any of my runs the past two weeks – my long runs have been absolute death marches, speed work feels harder than it should, and I can’t remember the last solid tempo I had.

But I’m healthy! Uninjured! Have not been hit by a bus!

I’m going to give myself a few days to try and put the pieces together, and if nothing forms then fuck it the pieces are all going in the ocean and I’m showing up on Sunday with a hair up my ass and a do-or-die game plan. I’ll need quite a few stars to align (ahem, all of them) in order to reach my BQ goal, but I don’t want to spend the next week analyzing my training log to try and pull some magically arbitrary number I “should” be able to run from the depths between its cells to comfort my nerves. 1) the expectation pressure will make me feel worse and 2) excel doesn’t have a formula for that anyway.

Luckily Super Pacer Dave will be there with me – he’s really smart and wasn’t just handed the nickname, so I’ll give him the reins to gauge my effort and adapt the plan as we go. I don’t even think I’m going to wear Garming (haha, bc it’s still dead)! How’s that for breaking up with one dependence and promptly handing it over to some(one) else?

Anyway, so far my “race strategy” email to SPD looks like this :

“Run me hard but don’t let me actually keel over and die. Be mean to me, but wary of 20+mi Homicidal Sarah.”

The good news is I’ve managed to stay clean the first week. Big win in the discipline department! The bad news is bloat, cravings, and general ickiness have already significantly decreased so this bullshit plan is working and I’m so sad about it. I mean, great for the race but sucks for life in general. Booze and sugar why can’t you just play nicer with my body?

12 thoughts on “Ventura Training–Wk9, The One Where I Quit Booze and Sugar”

My dog puked all over my living room yesterday after eating the chocolate I bought at Disneyland. She must have known I can’t have chocolate this week and was sacrificing her life for my time next weekend. I love/hate her today.

Sounds like a normal totally sucky taper to me. Don’t worry, it will all be fine come race day. Don’t sweat it and try to avoid more vomiting :-( I have a feeling that you are going to have a pretty kick ass race!! And you have SPD, I have heard of his magic pacing skills- go get it!

You are going to kill it!! You always do!! Think positive!!! I’m not a big drinker so I can’t feel your pain on that one but the sugar I can totally relate to. I have a sugar tooth that is 10times worse than anyone else with a sugar tooth. I have been doing a couple challenges this summer without sugar and less sugar!! Totally sucks but if you can get through this I bet it will be worth it on Sunday!! Good luck!!!

I can’t imagine cutting out sugar. I know it’s technically possible and a good thing to do but I can’t imagine how it’s done in practical terms. Try not to freak about the weekend…you can only run your best, you can’t dictate results! Just run your best! And take imodium before the start :)